The Vision and the Voice

THE VISION AND THE VOICE violet, but without any touch of yellow or red in them. It seems as if there were a wind beyond the door, that is blowing the flame out. And a voice comes: “Who is he that hath the key to the gate of the evening star?” And now an Angel cometh and seeketh to open the door by trying many keys. And they are none of any avail. And the same voice saith: ‘‘The five and the six are balanced in the word Abrahadabra, and therein is the mystery disclosed. But the key unto this gate is the balance of the seven and the four; and of this thou hast not even the first letter. Now there is a word of four letters that containeth in itself all the mystery of the Tetragrammaton, and there is a word of seven letters which it concealeth, and that again concealeth the holy word that is the key of the abyss.* And this thou shalt find, revolving it in thy mind. Hide therefore thine eyes. And I will set my key in the lock, and open it. Yet still let thine eyes be hidden, for thou canst not bear the glory that is within. So, therefore, I covered mine eyes with my hands. Yet through my hands could I perceive a little of those bowers of azure flame. And a voice said: It is kindled into fire that was the blue breast of ocean; because this is the bar of heaven, and the feet of the Most High are set thereon. Now I behold more fully: Each tongue of flame, each leaf of flame, each flower of flame, is one of the great love-stories of the world, with all its retinue of mdse-en-scéne. And now there is a most marvellous rose formed from the flame, and a * These words are probably BABALON, CZAOS, TARO. 117